Album Review: Basilysk – Emergence (Self Released)

Basilysk is a Philadelphia-based death metal four piece who play an unrelenting style of old school brutality with a progressive twist, that will appeal to fans of Morbid Angel, Death, Dissection and Outer Heaven.

Formed by vocalist and maniacal guitarist Josh Perrin, Basilysk released their first album Seasons of Misanthropy in 2012. The band reignited with a new line up in 2016, leading to the creation of this new album entitled Emergence out on February 22nd 2019.

Taking the well dried sound of old-school death metal and giving it a progressive twist, Basilysk’s new album is a frenzied listen. One built on unique song structures, old-school brutishness and vast guitar complexities.

Basilysk rage and they rage hard with hefty slices of death metal groove coming at you around every single corner. Molester of Dreams and Sinners of Their Own Reality are a pair of gloriously heavy tracks to showcase this with the latter really delivering a memorable listen. The guitars wail like a room full of hungry newborn babies and the drums hit like Satan is walking the earth.

With a higher and super-exciting tempo, Sad State of the Arts comes next and sees Basilysk really hitting their heavy stride. Before Eyes slows things down with a short melodic intermission of guitar playing.

The aggressive nature of the band and album returns with force for Fire (In the Temple of the Sacrifice) and Prebirth – Karma – Afterlife. The guitar work in the former, in particular the soloing is out of this world. While the latter is a three-part track that takes us on a journey filled with frenetic riffs, gargantuan hooks and the filthiest of filthy vocals. For over 14 minutes Basilysk let the blood fly and it’s certainly one of the more ambitious tracks you’re likely to hear from a progressive death metal band.

It’s a great track to sign off on although you might be wondering then what Dead Space and the following seven tracks (titled after days of the week) are all about. Well, Basilysk take an old school approach by hiding a track right at the end after eight tracks of intentional silence. It’s called Clouds and is one final grand proclamation of groovy heaviness with the most intriguing and intense guitar work heard throughout. This alone makes it worth checking out.

Basilysk – Emergence Full Track Listing:

1. Emergence
2. Molester of Dreams
3. Sinners of Their Own Reality
4. Sad State of the Arts
5. Eyes
6. Fire (In the Temple of the Sacrifice)
7. Prebirth – Karma – Afterlife
8. Dead Space
9. Monday
10. Tuesday
11. Wednesday
12. Thursday
13. Friday
14. Saturday
15. Sunday
16. Clouds

The album can be ordered via Bandcamp.